Collide
by Selenehekate
Summary: Sequel to Trouble: The war is on, and Avery's being hunted. As Voldemort searches for the Ultimate Power, Avery begins to learn a surprising truth about those she trusts... Or thinks she trusts, anyway.
1. Prologue

Severus Snape sighed, running a hand through his greasy hair as he made his way up the steps to Dumbledore's office. The school year had officially ended a few hours ago, so why was he already being called to duty? Shouldn't he get a break? A vacation? But no. This was what the life of a spy was: always forced to follow orders, never a moment to breath and just be.

Before him, the door to Dumbledore's office opened, and out stepped the eldest Weasley boy. _Bill_, Severus remembered, his eyes narrowing. _This was the one that gave Miss Nouvelli so much trouble. This was the one that caused the... side effects._

The boy looked tired. There was a haggard, almost wary expression on his face as he spotted his old Potions' professor, and he nodded wryly at him. "Professor," he said as he began to make his way down the stairs.

Severus' lip just curled. "Weasley," he sneered, before brushing past him and into Dumbledore's office. The old man was seated at his desk, a piece of parchment in front of him. Severus shut the door before approaching him. "Headmaster. You asked to see me?"

Dumbledore nodded. "That I did, my boy. Please," he said, gesturing towards an empty armchair. "Sit down. Lemon drop?"

Severus sighed before awkwardly lowering himself into the chair. Why couldn't the man just skip the formalities? "No thank you," he said cooly. "Albus, what did you need to see me for?"

The headmaster sighed. "Miss Nouvelli plans to return to Britain immediately."

Severus raised an eyebrow. This wasn't exactly what he'd expected. "And leave all of her perky American friends behind? How... unusual."

"Indeed," Dumbledore nodded. "She's sent her parents into hiding, and she's due to return to the Burrow in about an hour."

"I see," he said rather stiffly, crossing his legs. "And what, pray tell, is your reason for divulging this sort of information to me?"

Dumbledore hesitated for a moment before he spoke. "I worry about her level of control over her magic. You read the reports," he said, gesturing to the parchment before him. "About the fight in the Department of Mysteries. There were burn marks everywhere."

Severus nodded. "Miss Nouvelli's handiwork, I presume."

"Precisely."

"I don't think that's exactly a problem, Headmaster," Severus said with a curl of his upper lip. "I'm pretty sure that was her intention."

"Whether the fires were accidental or not is besides the point. The fact that they were so strong, so powerful... A body was found in the solar room, burnt to a crisp. She can hurt people. If she doesn't have a firm grasp on her magic-"

"You think she'll start setting people on fire over the summer?" Severus asked with a shake of his head. "Albus, she actually _likes_ the Weasley family, much to my disbelief. I highly doubt that she's become annoyed enough to-"

"It has come to my attention," he interrupted. "That Bill Weasley and his fiancé will be spending some time at the Burrow over the summer."

This caused Severus to pause, a frown taking over his already dark features. "Is Molly mad? Allowing that... She's practically begging for her son to be hurt. And that girl-"

"I believe Miss Nouvelli will be able to control herself under normal circumstances," Dumbledore cut in smoothly.

Severus looked slightly startled. "Then why did you bring me here?"

He sighed. "Because nothing is normal with her, Severus. Because of this, I feel the need to have a contingency plan."

"And this involves me how, precisely?"

"Why, Severus! You train with her. You know her magical limits. For anyone else to do it," he shook his head. "It could very well be disastrous."

A scowl morphed onto Severs' features. "You mean to say that you want me to _willingly_ visit the Weasley household a few times a week?"

"Not at all," Dumbledore ordered. "What I'm saying is that I want you to magically watch over her. And if you feel her slipping, then you extract her from the Burrow and bring her back to safety. Immediately."

* * *

So here's the prologue! I know that it's short, but it's necessary, and the first chapter will be much longer! I hope that you all enjoy reading it!

Thank you to all of my reviewers last chapter for Trouble. You are all amazing: brilliantblonde, GumiBearOnAShortBus, Devil Nightmare, Blank Paige, imposter17, SerbiaTakesCntrl, julieakaweirdo, laurelley, and Invierna. I really appreciate it!

So please encourage me to update faster and RER: Read it, Enjoy it, Review it... And I Love it! Really, I do.

Lurve,

-Selene


	2. The Burrow

_Previously..._

_"Avery Nouvelli, I forbid you from going! You can't-"_

_But I was already shaking my head, backing up towards the door. My chest tightened as I spoke. "I'm sorry," I whispered. "But this is for the best. I love you all. Remember that," I said, my voice cracking on the last syllable as tears threatened to run down my cheeks._

_"AVERY!" My dad stood, pushing past Shacklebolt to try and reach me, but it was too late._

_"You won't see me for awhile," I said as the tears began to fall from my cheeks. "Maybe not ever again, if Mr. Shacklebolt does as good of a job at hiding you as I hope he does. But you'll be safe. And that's all that matters."_

_"AVERY!"_

_But I was already changing into my shadow form, darting out the door and into the light, where I would hurry back to Ty's house, floo to the Burrow in England, and cut off my family completely from my life. I would save them. They would not suffer because of their connection to me. They wouldn't die like Sirius did._

_And so, I headed off to war, leaving my family and my past behind._

* * *

"Hello?" I called out, looking a around in an uncertain manner. "Is anybody here?" I was standing in the yard of a fairly dilapidated house, complete with an overgrown garden and a magical support system. I knew that Ron's family wasn't exactly in league with Donald Trump, but this...

"Avery!"

I turned my head just in time to see Ginny throw her arms around me, a huge grin on her face. "I can't believe you're here! I thought you were going home for the holidays?"

I shook my head. "It's a rather... complicated story. So is this your house?"

"Yes," she said, looping my arm through her own as she entered the building, pulling me through the kitchen. "It's small, but nice. Though you came in through the back, mind you."

I laughed. "Sorry about that."

"Ginny? Is someone there?" Mrs. Weasley came into view, her wand in her hand, with Hermione and Ron behind her. "Avery!" she exclaimed, pulling me in for a hug. "Oh, it's so nice to see you again, dear."

"It's nice to see you too Mrs. Weasley," I said, pulling back from her hug. "How have you been?"

"Fine, fine. Things have been rather hectic, what with the impending war, of course, but fine, nonetheless," she said, stepping over to the stove. "Would you like some tea?"

"Uh, no thank you-"

"Avery," Hermione asked, an odd note in her voice. "Just... How long are you staying, exactly?"

I blinked, a little surprised by her welcome. Did she not want me here? "Probably the entire summer. Why? Is that a problem?" Ron and Hermione exchanged glances, and I could see Mrs. Weasley tense up. "What?" I asked. "What's wrong?"

Ginny, however, tried to play it cool. "You're sharing a room with me and Hermione. Come on, I'll show you where-"

"Ginny," I said sharply. "What's going on?"

The redhead sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Bill's engaged," she said at last.

I bit my lip. The words weren't any easier to hear the second time around, but at least I wasn't surprised by them. "I know," I said softly. "I ran into him earlier today. He told me then. Well," I amended. "He kind of yelled it at me, but we _were_ arguing, so-"

"There's more," Hermione said quickly, interrupting my senseless rambling.

I swallowed. "More? She's not pregnant, is she?"

"She better not be," Mrs. Weasley muttered to herself.

"No," Ron said hesitantly. "She's fine... But the both of them are staying here. Together. Over the summer. Starting tomorrow."

My breath caught into my throat. How was that possible? Was I really so unlucky? Was I really so cursed as to have to watch my cheating ex prance around with his fiancé? I collapsed into one of the kitchen chairs. "Shit," I muttered, putting my head in my hands.

* * *

The day was certainly _not_ going as planned. It had been hard enough, leaving my family and refuting Ty. But to learn that not only was Bill getting married to the woman he'd cheated on me with, but that they would be living together under the same roof as me... It was a terrifying idea.

Part of the reason this was so scary was that the two of us had never really resolved our issues. We'd just broken up. I had run away from him, he had let me leave and taken up with another woman. And I had avoided him ever since.

But now, living with him again... I would actually see him. Chances are, I would actually have to talk to him. How was I supposed to do that? For over two months, he would be my roommate. How was I to do that without going insane?

The answer was actually quite simple; later that day, Snape visited the Burrow, asking if he could see me alone in the living room. "Well?" I asked, once we were seated. "It's been an incredibly long day, so if you don't mind just getting to the point-"

I paused, my eyes widening slightly, as from his pocket he'd pulled out a small, silver ring with an emerald jewel on it. I blanched, but recovered swiftly. "I'm sorry, Professor, but I don't think it would be right if I married you. I mean, we hardly know each other, and the colors... Silver and green? Really? Way too Slytherin for me."

He glared at me, shoving the ring into my hands. "Don't be daft, Miss Nouvelli. Surely even _you_ couldn't be so naive as to have interpreted that as a proposal."

"Then what was it? Why the jewel?"

His lip curled. "Professor Dumbledore has heard of your... predicament."

I raised an eyebrow. "Which is..."

"With the Weasley boy."

"Ah." I nodded. "Continue."

"He's worried about how this development will effect your magic. He has asked me to make sure you have a means of escape if need be. Because of this, I have opened up the floo between here and the Snape cottage."

I blinked. "I never really pictured you as a cottage kind of guy."

"I'm not," he said, his voice suddenly taking an amused turn. "I haven't been to the place in years. It's probably filthy. Perhaps you can clean while you're there." I scowled, but he continued speaking. "However, since even _I_ never journey there, you can be fairly assured that no one will be able to find you."

I held up the ring. "Then this is for..."

He pointed to the emerald. "You will twist it whenever you leave for the cottage. I will be informed, so that if anything were to happen-"

"How?"

He paused. "I beg your pardon?"

"How would you know? How can twisting the ring inform you of my leaving?"

He sneered at me. "Miss Nouvelli, this isn't class. You don't have to understand-"

"Right," I pointed out. "But if I don't understand it, then I might not remember to do it."

He glared at me. "Fine," he said in his dangerously low voice. "Go ahead. Forget. I'll just close the floo up and you'll be stuck here all summer long with no means of escape."

I sighed. "Continue."

He nodded in triumph. "Obviously, I will not be able to meet you at the cottage all of the time," he said. "Due to a rather... demanding master," he drawled.

I nodded in consent. "Of course."

"However, when I am able to get away, I will be there to make sure you're all right. If, in the worst case scenario, something were to happen. All you'd have to do is twist the gem in the other direction. It will let me know _through magic_," he emphasized, in case I bothered asking questions again. "That you need my help, and I will find you. But I warn you, Miss Nouvelli. Do not use that charm lightly. Any false alarms..."

I nodded. "Of course, Professor," I said, giving him a small smile. "Thank you. Really, you don't know how much this means to me."

* * *

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Miss Nouvelli. What in the name of Merlin are you doing here already?"

I laughed as George pulled me in for a hug. The twins had showed up out of the blue, and run into me in the Burrow's living room a few hours after Snape had departed. "I could hardly leave you lot alone for the summer; you'd probably end up killing us all in your sleep."

But to my surprise, George shook his head. "That wouldn't be your problem though, Avery. Fred and I don't live here anymore."

I blinked. "_Really_? Since when?"

"Since we opened up the shop, actually," he commented, running a hand through his overly long hair. "We now rent out the flat above the building. NIce bloke who owns the place, too. He gave us a lower rate in exchange for a discount on the items at the store."

"They cost virtually nothing to make, too, so it's not like we're losing money," Fred spoke, chiming in for the first time. "The real expense comes with the inventing process. But we have the general process all figured out by now."

"That's cool," I said, smiling up at them. "So do you two always come and have dinner here, or-"

Fred shook his head. "Nah. We normally eat out or back at the flat. But Mum really wanted us here tonight. Apparently Tonks is stopping by again-"

"As is Remus, of course," George said, glancing down at his watch. "Actually, I think I'll go and see if he's here so I can speak with him about that new test subject now. If you'll excuse me."

I sighed as he left the room. That meant that Fred was the only one with me... Oh dear. "So," I said after a rather lengthy pause. "How have you been?"

"Good. Yeah, I've been good," he nodded once. "Business is good."

"So George said," I pointed out.

"Right, right."

The silence stretched between us. Why were things so awkward? What could I possibly do to make the witty rapport that used to exist between us reappear again? I bit my lower lip, glancing up at him. "Fred?"

"Mmm?"

"How are you... really? I mean, after the whole incident in December, and everything?"

He nodded, almost thoughtfully. "In truth, I've been better. Though I have to say, I don't necessarily regret... anything. You were very good to me and, well..." he trailed off, a hesitation in his eyes. "I just wish it hadn't come in the way of our friendship."

I snorted, giving him a long look characterized by sadness. "Yeah," I said softly. "Me too."

* * *

Dinner was a lively affair; in addition to the twins, Remus, and Tonks, Charlie Weasley (Bill's younger brother), and Kingsley also showed up for dinner. I was relieved that Bill wasn't among the group, but that didn't make looking at Charlie any less scary; the two were the splitting image of each other.

"Is my family okay?" I asked Kingsley from across the table as I passed him the potatoes.

"They're a wee bit annoyed," the stern wizard confessed. "However, they are settling nicely into the safe house and their new identities."

"Good," I said, giving an absentminded nod. "That's good. Thank you so much for doing this."

"It's so nice to have you all here," Mrs. Weasley called out, raising her wineglass in a toast. "We really must do this again after Bill and _that girl_ get here," she said, giving me an apologetic glance.

I just sank down a little lower in my seat. It was bad enough that Bill cheated on me. The fact that his mother had obviously been hoping that _I_ would end up with her son as opposed to that floozy was depressing.

Mrs. Weasley continued. "It'll be nice to have almost the entire family together again," she said, before she clinked her glass against her husband's and sat back down.

As the others' drank to Molly's toast, I leaned over to Ron, keeping my voice low. "Wait, does that mean Percy-"

"Is still being a bloody git?" he completed, a dark look taking over his face. "Yeah. He is."

I shook my head. "I'm sorry."

But he waved it away. "Don't be. It's his own ruddy fault. His pompous attitude just caught up with him at a bad time, is all. What with the war going on... Well, it's hard to know that there's disunity among those you trust. It makes you wonder if you can really trust anyone at all."

* * *

Bill arrived at the Burrow early the next morning with Fleur by his side. I was too busy sleeping to notice, and, to be frank, I wouldn't have wanted to be conscious even if I'd been given the choice. The thought that I would have been forced to witness them walk into the house together, linked arm in arm as they looked at each other with loving gazes was completely sickening, and an image I was happy to be without.

However, I was, inevitably, forced to wake up eventually, and when I did, I was in a less than pleasant mood. I suppose my antisocial tendencies were well justified, given the unfortunate guests that were occupying the Burrow. Still, my unwillingness to partake in "family" events was putting a damper on the Weasleys' vacation.

"Come on, Avery," Ginny said, tugging on my arm from where I lounged on the bed that had been forced into her room. "You have to play Quidditch with us! It's a family tradition."

I made a face. "No thanks."

"But Charlie's here," she argued. "He was the Quidditch captain of the Gryffindor house for three years. You can learn so much from playing with him... In fact, I'll even let you be on his team!"

But I just shook my head. "Really, Ginny. I'm fine." _Or at least, I'm fine until I have to see your stupid brother again, _I thought.

"But it'll be fun!"

"Ginny, I hate flying," I said seriously. "Really. Last year when we stole the thestrals and went to London? Horrible. Trust me when I say that flying is not my forte."

"But this is a broom!" she protested. "It's so much better. Let me teach you-"

"No, Ginny," I said, trying to stay firm. "Sorry."

"Give it up," Hermione said from her position by her bed. She was tying her black sneakers, her hair pulled back into a bun, allowing her to better watch the Weasley match. "She's avoiding Bill."

Ginny groaned. "Avery!"

I glared at the know-it-all. "_Thanks_ Hermione."

"You can't avoid him forever," Ginny pointed out.

"No," I agreed. "However, I can try."

"Are you really going to let my idiot brother unknowingly dictate your summer? Especially with the brewing war... You need all of the fun you can get."

I paused. "Well, I wouldn't put it that way."

"And how, exactly," Hermione said with an amused grin. "Would you put it?"

"I'd say that I was choosing to spend my summer productively, as opposed to playing sports for two months," I said with sarcasm.

Hermione let out a snort of laughter. "Right, productive, you. Of course."

I rolled my eyes. "It's not _that_ insane of a statement."

"So are you going to do homework, then?" she said, that annoying grin still on her face. "Do a little studying?"

"Maybe," I said defensively.

This time, Ginny joined Hermione in on the laughter. "You're kidding, right?" the redhead asked. "You, study? I can't believe it."

I scoffed. "I'm not _that_ much of a slacker."

"Of course," Hermione giggled.

"Yes," Ginny added with a chuckle. "Whatever you say."

I groaned, falling backwards to lie on the bed. "You two are horrible."

"We try."

"Seriously, though," Hermione said, standing. "What subject could possibly be more interesting to _you _than watching Ron make a fool of himself, Avery?"

I blinked. "Potions."

Hermione wrinkled her nose, a slight look of annoyance coming into her eyes. "_Really?_ Potions? Why? It's not as though _you_ need any extra help."

I sat up onto my elbows, shrugging slightly. "I don't know. Potions doesn't require a wand most of the time, so I can work on the subject without alerting any Ministry officials-"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Avery, you're seventeen. This isn't the muggle world, remember? You won't alert anyone. You can do what you want. You're an adult now."

Oh yeah. I'd forgotten about that.

I nodded, contemplating. "Well in that case, I suppose I'll work on potions to advance my skills. I have a feeling next year's potions class is going to be hard, and the work will be made even more difficult by the whole 'apprentice' thing-"

"WHAT!"

I jumped, surprised by Hermione's outburst. "Are you okay, Hermione?" But she, like Ginny, just stared at me with their mouths open. "Are you, like, hurt, or something? Should I get someone? Mrs. Weasley-"

"Snape made you his _apprentice_?" Hermione asked.

"Oh," I said, as understanding overcame me. "I hadn't told you yet. That's right; what with the fiasco at the Ministry, I'd forgotten all about it... Yeah, he made me his apprentice. It's not that big of a deal-"

"I'm sorry," Ginny said, interrupting. "But Hermione had the wrong inflection on her outburst. _Snape_ made you his apprentice?"

I shrugged. "Well, yes."

"But," Hermione stuttered. "But he never takes an apprentice. Why, he probably hasn't accepted one since-"

"Ever, actually," I contributed. "He told me I was to be the first Hogwarts apprentice in a long time. Since, I believe, the Defense teaching position was originally cursed."

"That's amazing," Ginny muttered, her eyes wide.

But Hermione just shook her head. "That's bizarre."

I scowled. "Thanks. Your confidence in me is much appreciated."

"No," Hermione said quietly. "The fact that he took you on as an apprentice... It's almost as if he likes you as a person. He has to believe you to be decent, at least. Otherwise he won't even begin to tolerate you... You have to admit, Snape being cordial... It's bizarre."

* * *

I managed to hide out for the rest of the week. Bill and the Scarlet Woman were busy slowly bringing their belongings from his flat over to the Weasley household, and they were out of the house for the most part.

I wasn't sure why they _had _to stay at the Burrow for the summer. I knew from Ron that Bill was selling the flat he'd purchased in Hogsmeade; apparently, since we were no longer together, it didn't matter that he be close to the school. However, what I didn't understand was why it was taking them so long to find another house.

The real estate market was probably abysmal at the time, what with the constant threat of an impending attack from dear Voldemort himself. The sickening couple could most likely have easily found a flat for a reduced price in no time, but they weren't even trying, instead choosing to remain with the cheater's parents.

Hell, they even could have moved in with Fleur's family in _France_, for all I cared. All I knew was that I wanted them out of the Burrow. Immediately.

But it wasn't meant to be. As my second week dawned in the Weasley household, I couldn't help but sigh. I was going stir-crazy already, and I hadn't even made it through the month. What the _hell_ was I going to do for the rest of the summer?

It was out of desperation that at six in the morning I twisted Snape's ring, and crept down to the family room, reaching into the flowerpot and, wand in hand, flooed to the Snape cottage.

I coughed as I stepped from the fireplace; the air was musty and just stepping from the soot filled spot left me trying hard not to sneeze. It was near blackness as I made my way through the room, and I nearly tripped over a veiled footstool in the darkness. However, my eyes eventually began to adjust, and I found that I was in a library of some sort, the tomes on the shelves coated with dirt from disuse, and the bindings faded from the sun. A few chairs and tables were in the room as well, but I couldn't see what any of the pieces looked like, as they were all covered by various white sheets to protect them from light.

Though there really wasn't any light in the room at all, so I didn't see the point...

There was a large, black arras that hung against a wall, and, after quickly poking my wand at it to make sure no Polonius-like character was concealed behind it, I drew the curtain aside with a flourish, revealing daylight from a large window.

"Okay," I muttered, eyeing the dismal curtains. "These have got to go." They were way too depressing. If I was going to be spending an inordinate amount of time there, then I needed to be able to stand in the room without wanting to off myself.

Closing my eyes, I breathed deeply, exhaling through my nose, as I gathered my power like Snape had taught me. With a simple wave of my wand, I turned the curtains into a sophisticated shade of crimson, the red coloring seeming new and vibrant in comparison to the old curtains' dull darkness.

"Perfect," I muttered. I turned to the couch next, bracing myself for the worst as I flipped the white sheet off of the sofa.

* * *

"What the bloody hell!"

I jumped, pulling my wand from my pocket at the sudden exclamation... Only to find Severus Snape standing behind me, his mouth curled into a sneer as he glared about the room. I scowled. "Could you _not_ sneak up on me like that? You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"What did you do to the sitting room?" he asked, stepping over to the crimson curtains. He spun around to face me, ire covering his features. "These used to be black!"

"I know," I agreed, rolling my eyes. "That's why I changed them. I felt like I was in a freaking funeral home."

"I will _not_ advertise the pride of Gryffindor in one of my abodes," he hissed.

But I could only shrug in response. "Then turn them green. It's not like it matters. I just thought the red matched the coloring of the wood floor rather nicely."

He just stared at me, though, before slowly shaking his head. "I don't know how Dumbledore expects me to survive the summer with _you_ of all people," he muttered, glancing up at the curtains again. "You're completely mad."

And yet despite his distaste, he didn't change the color of the curtains, keeping them the rich red that I had converted them into...

* * *

I know I took forever to update! I'm sorry, but I've been so busy filling out college applications... The good news is that I'm halfway done with my final one! Yay! So with any luck, the updates won't be months apart, lol. Thank you all so much for sticking by me, though; I really appreciate it!

If you're bored and looking for something to read, check out my Nanowrimo story for this year called Fragments, The chapters are short, and I'm posting the third one tomorrow, so you haven't missed anything. Check it out! And a special thanks to brilliantblonde for reading and reviewing it!

Thank you to all of my reviewers last chapter. You are all amazing: brilliantblonde, XxX Fred Weasley's Wife XxX, GumiBearOnAShortBus, wild-in-spirit, crystalbluewolve, Devil Nightmare, arrowheadhunter, brb bbe, Alexia, Blank Paige, SerbiaTakesCntrl, julieakaweirdo, MaruadersLiveOnAsAnimagus, laurelley, Carolina, XxXTwilight-SinXxX, ColdMartini, SweetieCherrie, and Invierna. I really appreciate it!

So please encourage me to update faster and RER: Read it, Enjoy it, Review it... And I Love it! Really, I do.

Lurve,

-Selene


	3. Bed

The rest of June passed in a similar, cringe-inducing matter. I would cower in my room until Bill and Fleur went into the nearby town for the day, during which I'd make an appearance. The moment they came back, I was gone., ready to avoid them once more. Whenever I grew too bored within the Weasley household, I would flee, heading to Snape's cottage.

Working on redecorating his cottage was a long, tedious task, but I was actually glad for the manual labor; restoring his cottage gave me something to think about besides Fleur's French charm back at the house. It helped me to ignore her light laughter as it crept up the stairs towards me, and instead focus on designing a suitable dining room.

Normally, this sort of arduous work would be boring to me; nothing is less interesting than mulling over two different types of wallpaper. But the distraction was just what I needed to keep calm around the Weasleys.

As July dawned, I'd just finished restoring the dining room, and had managed to make it down the hallway and to a door at the back of the house. Pushing the door open, I realized that this was the master bedroom...

And that was how Snape found me two hours later, sitting in his newly dust-free bedroom with the cream-colored carpet cleaned and the rich, emerald green drapes looking fresh and perfect. But my immense improvements weren't what he noticed.

"What," he seethed, his eyes blazing. "In the name of Merlin gave you the idea that you could be in my _bedroom_?"

"I didn't think it would be an issue," I protested, blinking up at the man. "I mean, I finished one of the guest bedrooms last week."

"Exactly," Snape snapped. "Guest. As in_ not mine._ Don't you think that your being in my bedroom is highly _inappropriate_?"

I couldn't help but let a small snort escape. "It would be, if I was lying on your bed, draped in silk, and saying 'come and get me.' But that's not going to happen."

He sneered. "It's good to know you have no romantic intentions towards me, Miss Nouvelli."

"Actually," I protested. "It's not going to happen because your bed's about to collapse. You need a new frame; even magic isn't going to fix this."

"I don't _need _anything."

A small chuckle escaped as I took a step forward. "What, are you just going to leave it falling apart?"

"I see no reason to change it," he said stiffly.

Now that was absolutely absurd, and anyone who looked at the bed would have come to the same conclusion. The wood was moldy and cracking along one edge, as the left side of the bed sagged an inch lower than the right. Up near the headboard, one of the legs had already completely given out, and the bed's box was touching the floor. It truly wasn't safe to even _lean_ against, let alone sleep on.

And so I told him that. "You need a new bed frame."

"No."

"Come on, Snape," I protested. "Look, don't even worry about it. Just let me take care of it. I'll pop in to muggle London tomorrow and order you a new one-"

"Absolutely not," he hissed, coming closer to me. "Are you _mad_? You want to go traipsing around muggle London _now?_ _Alone_? While we're in the middle of a bloody _war_?"

"Well, yeah."

"No!"

"Okay, well," I protested, rolling my eyes at him. "I hate to tell you this, Snape, but you can't exactly order me around anymore. I'm not a student right now, and I'm seventeen. I'm legal in your world. I can decide for myself."

His eyes narrowed. "Even at the risk of getting killed?"

"It beats spending time with Bill and Fleur," I muttered.

And yet he still shook his head. "I don't like this. It's a terrible idea. I don't even want a new _bed frame_! You have no reason to go."

"Bummer."

"Miss Nouvelli-"

"If you're so worried," I interrupted, sliding my hands onto my hips, "why don't you come with me? Then, you can do the big-bad-protector thing if we run into any trouble."

"That is simply not going to happen."

"Why not?" I inquired, raising my voice slightly. "Are you telling me your master's going to keep you busy all day? Because I highly doubt that. He thinks you're a spy; he needs to give you time off to do Dumbledore's bidding."

He snorted. "That may be, but I'm hardly going to use any free time I have to spend the day with _you_, Miss Nouvelli."

"I'd reconsider that, if I were you," I taunted, letting a small smile cross my face. "Seeing as it's your money I'll be spending."

"I _never_-"

"Dumbledore's worried about how being trapped in a house with Bill will affect my emotions," I said, reminding him of the talk we'd had a month again. "And he's worried that my skewed emotions will mess with my magic. Now I've been fine thus far because I've had this little project of redecorating your house to keep me busy. But if I don't... Well, who knows what I'm going to do."

His jaw twitched. "Do you really think that you can _bully_ your way into winning this argument, Miss Nouvelli?"

I shook my head. "Against you? No. But I _do_ think that if I remind you of the facts, you'll realize that this may be the only thing that can keep me distracted from my emotional distress. It'll keep my powers in line and the secret of my existence safe. It's a good option. You should fully consider it before you say no."

* * *

My stunning argument, unfortunately, had the sole effect of causing him to storm out of his cottage, leaving me behind to finish redoing the window treatments. While initially disappointed that I had lost our mental duel, I eventually put my annoyance aside and decided to remove the frame completely and just put the mattress on the floor, creating a zen Japanese-style room. It wasn't my cup of tea, but given what I had to work with, it would do.

However, a few days later, something odd happened that changed my entire plan...

It was after eight on an unusually dreary Tuesday morning. Hermione, Ginny and I were just getting up, slowly changing from our pajamas into jeans and t-shirts. Hermione and I, however, were both outraged by a sudden revelation... "You seriously won't tell us?" I asked the younger girl, glaring down at Ginny. "Really?"

"Sorry," she shrugged. "But I feel that would be rude."

"Ginny," Hermione said patiently. "You told us everything about Michael while you dated him."

"Yeah, and we broke up," she said in a matter-of-fact tone. "And I don't want that to happen between Dean and I. Therefore, I choose to say nothing at all."

"But we actually _know_ Dean," I protested. "So the answers to our questions matter now."

"And that's precisely why I choose to say _nothing_," Ginny said with a laugh, pulling her sweater on over her shirt. "Really, you two. Leave a girl alone."

"Never," I said with a laugh, moving to stand in front of the doorway. "You're not allowed to leave until you tell us everything you know!"

"And how will you stop me?"

"By sending really obnoxious tickle charms your way," I said, waving my hands as if it were a genuine threat.

"Oh, well in that case..."

"Honestly you two," Hermione said with a roll of her eyes. "Ginny will tell us everything when she's ready. Though mind you," she said, turning to the redhead. "I find your sudden penchant for secrecy deplorable. Come on, now. Let's go and have breakfast."

She moved past me to open the door, and I couldn't help but stick out my tongue at her. "Spoil sport," I muttered.

* * *

The kitchen was nearly empty by the time we made it downstairs; Ron was just putting his bowl in the sink as we stepped through the door. He gave us a nod. "Morning."

"Hey," I said, taking a seat at the table as Hermione went to make coffee. "Any plans for the day?"

"Not really," he said with a shrug. "Maybe some Quidditch. I dunno, though. What about you lot?"

"_I'm_ going to do a little something called summer homework," Hermione said, raising her eyebrows at him as the coffee began to drip down into the pot. "Maybe it would be best if you joined me. Get it out of the way."

"Nah," Ron said, shaking his head as he stretched his arms up. "Too much work. Besides, we have another couple of months. I'll be fine."

"You say that now," she muttered, grabbing two coffee mugs for herself and me.

"And he'll continue to say that, even when he's buried knee deep in forgotten work days before term starts," Ginny said with a laugh.

"Hey!"

"Oh, don't bother denying it," I said, taking the cup of coffee Hermione handed to me. "Everyone knows that's what will hap-" I cut myself off, falling silent as the door to the kitchen fell open and in walked Fleur Delacour. Beside me, Hermione let out a sharp breath, her eyes darting to mine.

"Good morning," she said simply as she stepped over to the cabinet. "Has anyone seen ze teapot? Bill would like 'is morning tea."

"I bet he would," I couldn't resist muttering. Great, this was just great. This was the first time I was seeing her in my entire stay at the Weasley's house, and already, within one minute, she was getting on my nerves.

She casually tossed a spare glance my way, but didn't say anything. Instead, she just pulled out her wand, muttered something, and then caught the teapot as it came zooming towards her. "'Ow are you, Ronald?" she asked as the teapot set itself about making tea.

"Uh, fine," he said, before falling silent.

"You must be excited for ze Quidditch rematch today," she remarked. I could feel anger rise within me as she continued to ignore me. She always dragged the conversation back to her and what she desired. She shouldn't be here. She didn't belong here...

Ron swallowed. "Not really."

She frowned. "No? But Bill _is_. I thought for sure you'd want to compete again. 'e feels confident that 'e will win once more."

"He won't."

"Yes 'e will," she said, almost triumphantly. "Bill always wins. And 'e always gets his way." I saw a glimmer enter her eye then, as she poured the tea into a cup for her finance.

All of a sudden, something inside of me snapped, and I just couldn't take it anymore. I had to get out of there. "Why don't we go upstairs, Ginny?" I muttered. "See if we can't work on your potions homework."

"Uh, okay-"

"See now," Fleur spoke up, a light laugh leaving her mouth. "Zis is why you lost, Avery. You are a quitter. 'e chose me because I am still here. You saw zat 'is eye was straying, and you left. So you lost."

I scoffed. "Oh grow up," I said, my voice taking on a sharp tone. "This isn't a competition-"

"But it is," she corrected. "And you are no longer even a competitor. You don't belong here anymore, Avery." She took a step towards me. "Not with Bill, not in ze Order, and certainly not in zis house. You must know zat. You don't belong here."

A snarl built up in the back of my throat as I clenched my fists. Power began to brew in me, and I could feel it building up inside my core... "Listen up, you bitch! I'm not-"

But that was as far as I got. Within the next instant, I was being jerked around by a hand that had grabbed onto my wrist. "Miss Nouvelli!" Dark black eyes met my own, and I was instantly calmed. How was it that Professor Severus Snape could have quieted me so easily? "A word, if you will."

"Of course," I muttered, a little dazed. I followed after him, leaving the kitchen and Fleur behind in favor of the living room. "What is it, Professor?"

He sat down, motioning for me to do the same as he studied me. Once I was seated comfortably across from him, he let out a sight. "You almost lost your control in there, didn't you?"

"Yes."

He shut his eyes, almost as though he were looking for another alternative, before he opened them and finally spoke. "You win, Miss Nouvelli. If it will keep your magic in check, you may go furniture shopping in muggle London. And I shall go with you."

* * *

I'd never actually been to muggle London before; in fact, the only time I'd ever been shopping in England _at all _was with Tyler before I'd even started at Hogwarts. Now, though, not only was I about to venture out onto the muggle-filled streets, but I was about to do so with _Snape _by my side.

It was a little weird, I'm not going to lie.

He was annoyed at first, his arms held stiffly down by his sides as he walked, his eyes narrowed and cold. But I didn't care. I was out in the fresh air for the first time in weeks, and suddenly, all of my worries evaporated. There, in muggle London, surrounded by the innocent muggle shoppers, I had nothing to fear; Bill and Fleur didn't exist as far as I was concerned, and the war was just a distant thought, not an immediate threat.

"Oh, let's try here," I said, pointing to an antique furniture shop to our right as we came to a halt.

"Absolutely not!" Snape hissed. "I refuse to sleep on someone else's bed."

"Well first of all, we'd only buy the bed frame, not the entire bed," I pointed out. "Besides, you said you never actually stay at your cottage. So you'll never have to use it."

"I still have to _pay_ for it," he reminded me. "And I refuse to buy something someone else has _used_ in... _that_ manner. The very idea is repulsive."

I couldn't help a small laugh from escaping. "In _that_ manner? What manner? You mean sex?"

He scowled at my bluntness, but I could see the tips of his ears turning the lightest shade of pink... "I _will_ _not _buy a used bed."

"Fine," I said, holding up both my hands as I began to walk once more down the sidewalk. "If you insist. I just thought something vintage would be more your style."

"You obviously don't know me, then," he muttered.

I raised an eyebrow. "Really, now? So you're telling me that you want the latest trend? You want to go to a furniture superstore and pick out the most popular bed? Because I'm not buying that."

"No," he said through his teeth. "It has nothing to do with whether or not the bed is _popular_. What matters is the craftsmanship. If it's well-made, and if it's artful. A bed does not have to be old to be good, it just has to be presentable."

I gave a small chuckle, shaking my head. "Finally, something we can agree on."

* * *

"Well? What do you think?"

"It's red."

"No," I said slowly. "It's cherry brown. There's a big difference."

"I do not appreciate you forcing your preferred Gryffindor color scheme on me, Miss Nouvelli."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not! But look at the carvings. Look at the wood. It's a beautiful bed. _I _certainly like it. I thought you would too."

"I'm not purchasing this," he said, giving me a small glare.

"Because of the color?"

"Precisely."

I gave him a look, holding his eyes with my own before I shook my head. "Do you have _any_ idea how gay you sound right now?"

His eyes darkened as he took a step towards me. "Miss Nouvelli, need I remind you that I can _force_ you to leave at any time-"

"Excuse me," I said, interrupting him to wave over a sale's associate. "Could you help us for a moment?"

A tall, balding man hurried over, a big smile on his wrinkled face. "Hi," he said upon reaching us, resting a hand on the bed. Snape rolled his eyes. "What can I do for you?"

"A lot, actually," I said, giving him a fake smile of my own. "See, we're having a little disagreement here, and I was wondering if this bed happened to come in any other colors? He's not a big fan of the cherry brown."

The man faltered for a moment, looking a little concerned before he nodded. "Well, yes, it does. A deep brown, as it were. I can find you two a color sample, if you'd like."

I turned to Snape. "See? A dark brown. Is that acceptable?"

He scowled at me. "Perhaps."

"Great," the salesman said, slowly backing away from us. I couldn't understand why he seemed so nervous... "I'll just go and get that sample for you two, and see if we can't end that lover's spat once and for all."

Snape's mouth dropped open. "_What_-"

But the man was already gone, running off into the back.

I, meanwhile, stood frozen in place. Oh boy. So _that_'s why he was so nervous. He thought Snape and I... I glanced up at my professor, horror flowing through. "Oh, ew," I muttered, shaking my head.

Snape, meanwhile, was still flummoxed. "How could he possibly think-"

"Snape," I interjected. "We're shopping together for a _bed_. Come on, now. Think about it."

"But... But in the muggle world, you're not yet of age! You're only seventeen-"

"I think I could pass for eighteen if I wanted to, Professor," I said with a snort. "That definitely explains why he looked so concerned..."

"Well we simply must correct him-"

"No way," I said, stopping him mid-sentence. "We can't do that."

"Are you _mad_?"

"Of course not," I said softly. The salesman was returning, a piece of darkened wood in his hand. "I just think we can get something more out of this."

"Absolutely _not_-"

"Too late," I muttered. "Thank you so much!" I called out to the salesman, taking the switch from him. "See honey?" I said, taking a step closer to Snape. "It's not that bad."

Instead of focusing on the wood, however, he just glared at me. "Oh, it most certainly is."

"What are you offering for the bed frame in this color?" I asked the man, ignoring Snape completely.

"Well, it's got those nice, hand carved posts, so I'd say that we'll probably sell it at around 990 pounds."

"Oh," I said, biting my lip, as I placed my hand upon Snape's arm. He glared down at me, disgusted by my actions. "I don't know about that. What with the baby on the way," I touched my stomach. Snape, meanwhile, looked like he was ready to vomit. Or die. "That's a little steep."

"How long have you two been married?" the man asked in an effort to be polite.

But I just gave a grin. "Why bother getting married, right?" The man swallowed. "No, if it's that expensive, we might just have to keep looking. And at the rate that we go, we'll probably be stuck here all day. Oh well. I'm sure we could make it entertaining, right Honey-bear?"

Snape did not dignify my spontaneous nickname for him with a response. Instead, he stared down at his shoes, the tips of his ears getting red again.

"You know," the salesman spoke up again, "I might be able to drop the price down a bit, as long as you take it today and put it together yourself."

I frowned. "I'm sorry, but we don't have time to put it together today. We need a new mattress as well. We may just have to come back and look around tomorrow, too."

He was so desperate to get us out of there... "I'll throw in a mattress, then."

I smiled up at him, giving a small nudge of triumph to Snape. "We're listening."

* * *

"I cannot _believe _you did that!"

I tried to reason with him. "I don't see why you're so upset-"

"You don't see- Are you absolutely _mad_?" He was seething, his normally pale face taking on an unusual red tone. We were back at his cottage, the bed frame lying in a box by the door, right next to the new mattress. "I knew you must be a little crazy for you to be put on _magical murder_ watch like this, but Merlin! Even I didn't expect your insanity to reach this point!"

"Hey, I saved you 20 pounds and the price of a new mattress," I pointed out.

"I didn't _need_ a new mattress!"

"No," I said with a grin. "But it _was_ fun to watch that guy squirm. I just wanted to see how far I could take it."

"Too far," he snarled, shaking his head. "If any of your other professors knew about this-"

"I hardly see any reason to tell them," I said. "Unless you want to invite them over here for dinner and show them your bedroom, or something-"

"Enough," he interrupted. His face was slowly fading back to its usual pallor, but his eyes still held a fury in them. "I am choosing to forget that this horrid day ever happened, understand?"

I raised an eyebrow. "I didn't see you as someone who would willingly try and induce ignorance."

"I can forget it," he said, his upper lip curling slightly. "Because I _know_ that it will never happen again. You are not to be allowed out into muggle London for the rest of the summer."

"_What_? But you can't do-"

"I appeased you once, Miss Nouvelli, because I assumed you'd suffer in the Weasley household. However, after the little escapade that you just put me through, I find that letting you suffer isn't necessarily an abhorrent thought after all."

I scoffed. "You're cruel."

A smirk fell onto his features. "Only in your eyes."

I couldn't help it, a laugh escaped me. "Yeah? Well just for that, I'm going to let you put the bed together all by yourself. You'll have no help from me whatsoever. I bet you wish you were a little nicer now, huh?"

But he just rolled his eyes. "Yes, of course. Because I've been forbidden from using _magic _when putting this bed together."

"That's cheating."

"Not at all. It's using the skills I was taught in a resourceful manner," he corrected. "What's actually cheating is you using your unique magic to harm Fleur Delacour."

I looked away from him, biting my lip. "She had it coming."

"No she did not," he said softly.

I whipped my head around, staring at him in defiance. "_Yes_ she did. She's vindictive and petty, and she was going on and on about how I didn't belong here, and that I needed to leave-"

He held up a hand. "I do not doubt that Miss Delacour is... not the _kindest _of people. However, she did not deserve to be completely blindsided by your magic. She doesn't know of your power yet; many in the Order know that you're special, but they don't understand the extent to which your magic has developed. She would have been unprepared for your attack. You could have killed her, and she would have been able to do nothing about it."

"Well the dead generally _can't_ do anything about their deaths," I muttered. "That's why they're dead."

But he just ignored me. "You must put your anger aside while you are in that house. You could hurt someone that you care about."

He was right. I didn't want to admit it, but he was right. I turned away, ashamed of my earlier actions. I had to be more careful. "I know," I whispered. "I know."

* * *

"You went _along with it_?"

I shrugged, not the least bit deterred by Ginny and Hermione's outrage over my shopping trip with Snape. The three of us were sitting in the Weasley's living room, discussing my compliance in the Snape-Nouvelli couple drama. "Of course I did. I wanted to see if I could get free stuff out of the guy's horror. Guess what? It worked."

"I can't _believe _he didn't try to kill you," Hermione muttered. "He must have been absolutely livid that you put him on the spot like that."

"No," Ginny said, shaking her head. "Forget that. I can't believe you _pretended to be with Snape_! How _vile_ that must have been!"

I rolled my eyes. "You've become so melodramatic, you know that?"

"I most certainly have not!" she protested. "To think of _Snape_ in that way... Ugh, it's terrible!"

"You're over-"

"Actually," Hermione interrupted. "I have to agree with Ginny. Think about it, Avery. You were at a furniture store. With Snape. Shopping for a bed. The clerk probably thought the two of you were... You know. Intimate."

I blinked. "I should hope so, given that I told him I was pregnant."

"_What?_"

"No, no, no!" Ginny shrieked, covering her ears with her hands. "That is wrong on too many levels for me to be able to understand this."

"What's the big deal? It was a gimmick, a manipulation-"

"I would _never_ pretend to be sleeping with Snape for _anything_. Not even the promise of an invincible wand," Hermione said, violently shaking her head. "Merlin, I wouldn't even pretend to sleep with any of my kinder teachers! It's just wrong!"

"I don't know," Ginny mused. "I could see faking a relationship with Lupin, maybe-"

"Ginny!"

"Well only because he is fit and a good laugh sometimes," she argued. "But even then it would only be under the most dire of circumstances. But Snape? _Never_!"

"He's not that bad-"

"That's like saying the killing curse is not that deadly," Hermione said, her tone suddenly becoming serious. "He _is_ that bad. He's on our side, but he's still a horrible person-"

"Then why do you always defend him in front of Ron and Harry?" I asked.

"Because their hate is blind," she explained. "They despise him because he's a difficult teacher and he plays favorites. Not because he's an ex-Death Eater who would murder innocent people _for fun_, but for a petty reason like too much school work."

"But your hate is better?"

"It's not better, but it is less immature," she reasoned, crossing her legs from her seat on the couch.

"Can we _please_ change the subject? All of this talk about Snape is giving me a dreadful headache," Ginny muttered. I opened my mouth to answer, but before I could, I was stopped-

"Oh, of course not, Ginny," said a voice from the doorway. I turned, coming face to face with Bill... "Why would Avery stop talking about him? According to her, he's a bloody brilliant teacher."

I blinked surprised both by his sudden appearance before me and by his random harsh words. "What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"You know _exactly_ what I mean," Bill said, his voice cold and caustic. He stepped further into the room. "You spend too much time with that lunatic. He may be your trainer, but that doesn't mean you have to become as mad as he is."

"I don't know what you're-"

"I know," he interrupted me, his eyes beginning to smolder from anger. "I know what you did this morning."

"What I-"

"Fleur told me," he said simply. "She told me about how you threatened her-"

"I did _what_?"

"You heard me," he continued, shaking his head. "Merlin, I knew you were mad at me, but I didn't think you'd be so bitter-"

"I am _not_ bitter! Bill, she's lying to you," I protested, standing to meet him eye to eye. "I didn't threaten her! She threatened me-"

"Oh, come off it, Avery. Fleur would never do that. But you? You would. You're too..." He hesitated, looking for the right word. "Too feisty to just rest in peace and do nothing when you don't get your way. You'd try and change whatever it was that you didn't like. Well, I'm sorry, but you can't change this, Avery. We're over. I'm with Fleur now-"

"Can you _hear_ yourself?" I asked, raising my voice a bit. "Do you _know_ how narcissistic you sound right now? Merlin, you're conceited-"

"And you're pinning for me!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Bill!" Ginny interrupted, stepping in for the first time during the entire conversation. "I hate to break up this utterly _pathetic _battle of the wits, but Avery is right: she didn't threaten Fleur-"

"Of course you're siding with _her,_" Bill said with a roll of his eyes. "You're one of her best friends. You'd be asinine to go against her-"

"You're my brother!"

"And she's the Ultimate Power," he concluded. "Which means that she owns you. If you don't do what she wants, she could hurt you very badly."

"She'd never do-"

"You sure about that?" he interrupted, his eyes narrowing. "Because from what I've heard, she hurt those Death Eaters _very_ badly a few weeks ago in the Department of Mysteries."

"Would you rather I just sat there as they tried to kill us?" I asked, my voice raising. "Because I thought I did you a favor when I saved your sister's life. No offense," I added, turning quickly to Ginny.

"None taken."

"I'd rather you have control over your magic so that I didn't have to worry about you killing my finance!" Bill yelled back.

"_She_'s not the one you need to worry about!"

"Avery," Hermione said, stepping forward.

"What are you trying to say?" Bill glared at me, his jaw twitching.

"Bill-" Ginny pleaded.

My hands clenched, as I shook my head, completely unaware of the way my fingers had begun to twitch. "I'm telling you to back off, Bill! Back off, and leave me the hell alone!"

"If you need to be so alone, why don't you just leave?"

"I don't want to," I shot back. "You go! You're the one causing all of the drama-"

"It's my family!" he shouted back. Behind him, the door to the kitchen opened, and an alarmed Remus Lupin came through, his wand drawn. Molly Weasley was right behind him. "I'm not leaving my family!"

"What the bloody hell-" Lupin began.

"You're not wanted!" I shot back, a tremor of anger running up my spine. "Not here, not-"

"At least I belong here!" he retorted. "It's _my_ family; not yours! You don't belong here!"

"Shut up-"

"I have _more_ right to be here then you do," he said, triumph lighting up his eyes. "So why don't you just go and run back to your admired trainer, and tell him that you'll need a new place to-"

"SHUT UP!"

Screams filed the air as Bill flew backwards, an invisible force propelling him through the room and towards a startled Remus. He managed to jump to the side at the last second, eyes wide as Bill hit the doorframe. A sharp cracking sound exploded, and then he fell to the floor and didn't move anymore.

"Bill!" Molly screamed, bending over her fallen son. "Bill!"

"No," Ginny muttered, hurrying across the room with Hermione hot on her heels.

Numbness overtook me as I slowly backed away. I'd been angry, yes, even furious. But to actually attack him? To hurt him, to kill him, even? No... I hadn't wanted that...

It grew harder to breath, my lungs condensing as I sputtered, panic flowing through me. _This isn't happening_, I keep thinking. _He'll sit up any moment. I'll wake up from this nightmare. Everything will be fine_. But as the moments passed it soon became clear that everything was _not_ fine. Bill was hurt, possibly even dead.

And it was all my fault.

I spun on my heel, jerking away from the scene and hurtled myself towards the fireplace, using my special magic to unconsciously start the fire in the grate. I grabbed the floo powder from the mantlepiece, and threw it into the fireplace. "Snape cottage!"

"Avery!"

But I just stepped into the fire, ignoring Lupin's pleas, and roared away, zooming away from the Weasley house and towards the desolate Snape property. As the fireplace deposited me on the floor of the newly refurnished living room, I gave the ring Snape had given me a quick twist, and then...

And then nothing. There was nothing I could do. Everything was ruined. Everything would change, and it was all my fault. I was alone, and I was helpless. Nothing could be done.

I couldn't stop myself, then. I burst into tears and cried, allowing my sobs to fill the empty house as my tears covered the floor.

* * *

Hey everyone! Yes, this _has_ taken forever and a day. I'm incredibly sorry, but real life just caught up to me, and this was the earliest I could finish this chapter! Don't worry, though; with summer on the way, I'll be able to update much more frequently!

If you enjoyed this, then check out my rather humorous look into the relationship between Draco and Astoria, entitled Baggage and tell me what you think!

You could also look at my characterization of Hermione further and read my short oneshot As Memory Serves.

Thank you so much to everyone who will review! I really appreciated it!

Lurve,

Selene


	4. Letters

_Previously:_

_Numbness overtook me as I slowly backed away. I'd been angry, yes, even furious. But to actually attack Bill? To hurt him, to kill him, even? No... I hadn't wanted that..._

_It grew harder to breath, my lungs condensing as I sputtered, panic flowing through me. This isn't happening, I keep thinking. He'll sit up any moment. I'll wake up from this nightmare. Everything will be fine. But as the moments passed it soon became clear that everything was not fine. Bill was hurt, possibly even dead._

_And it was all my fault._

_I spun on my heel, jerking away from the scene and hurtled myself towards the fireplace, using my special magic to unconsciously start the fire in the grate. I grabbed the floo powder from the mantlepiece, and threw it into the fireplace. "Snape cottage!"_

_"Avery!"_

_But I just stepped into the fire, ignoring Lupin's pleas, and roared away, zooming away from the Weasley house and towards the desolate Snape property. As the fireplace deposited me on the floor of the newly refurnished living room, I gave the ring Snape had given me a quick twist, and then..._

_And then nothing. There was nothing I could do. Everything was ruined. Everything would change, and it was all my fault. I was alone, and I was helpless. Nothing could be done._

_I couldn't stop myself, then. I burst into tears and cried, allowing my sobs to fill the empty house as my tears covered the floor._

* * *

It only took a few moments before the fireplace lit up again and Snape burst through the flames. His wand was drawn, his eyes narrowed and searching as he stepped into the room, glancing about for any unseen dangers. Seeing none, he moved silently towards me, crouching down to where I lay. "What happened, Miss Nouvelli?" he asked, running the tip of his wand over my arm.

I sobbed, shaking my head, as he continued to poke and prod me with his wand. "My fault," I croaked out. "All my fault."

"_What_ is your fault, Miss Nouvelli? What happened?"

"Bill," I whispered, sniffing as a tear ran over my nose. "Oh, God! Bill!"

"What happened to him?" Snape asked, tucking his wand up his sleeve. "You're uninjured, so I know-"

"He had no chance," I muttered. "He just... And into the Burrow's kitchen doorframe... And then-"

"Stay here," Snape commanded, his eyes hardening. "You understand me? _Stay here_!" With that he turned on his heel and threw floo powder into the fireplace. Faster than I thought possible, he was gone, whisked away to the Burrow, leaving me all alone once more.

* * *

Snape reappeared ten minutes later to find me in the exact same spot, though I had calmed slightly since he'd left. No longer was I crying uncontrollably. Of course, I wasn't necessarily moving either; all I seemed capable of doing was staring at the floor. It was all my fault. He could be dead, and it was all my fault-

"He's alive, Miss Nouvelli," he said, once more kneeling beside me. "He is concussed, unconscious, and the recipient of a broken arm, but he is alive."

I blinked, slowly moving my head to look up at him. "But... He wasn't moving-"

"A trait shared by many people who have lost consciousness," Snape drawled.

"I... I thought-"

"I know what you thought," he interrupted smoothly. "But the fact of the matter is that Mr. Weasley is still very much alive. You did not provide any lasting harm or injury to him."

"Oh, thank God," I muttered, relief flowing over me.

"That does not change the fact that you still attacked him," he continued. "And from what Lupin told me of the events, it appears to me that you attacked him against your will. Am I right?"

I sighed, shaking my head. "I... I didn't mean to-"

"You have absolutely _no _control over your magic," he snapped, standing up. "You're not trying hard enough at meditating, at feeling and controlling your magical core. You foolish girl- You have to actually _try_ to control this! You can't just get by on willpower alone-"

"I know that-"

"Obviously not! Because it has become apparent to me that you aren't practicing hard enough!"

"It's just... It's _Bill_. He makes me so mad... I loved him, and he hurt me. And now, whenever I see him, I just want to hurt him back." I looked up, locking eyes with Snape. "I can't help it."

"Then we will increase your training, Miss Nouvelli. If Mr. Weasley is your weakness, than we will train this summer as well in an effort to control your magic and rectify this problem, understand?"

"And until then?" I asked.

He raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Until my magic is under control? Do you really want me to return to the Burrow? You want me to face Bill, and Fleur _now_? Because I don't think I can," I said, sitting up straight.

"What do you propose?"

I took a deep breath. "Let me stay here. Just for a few weeks, until things have calmed down enough for me to be able to go back without being murdered. Please. I just... I need to get out of that house. Please, Professor."

He watched me for a moment, studying my face, my eyes... and then he sighed, giving his head a quick shake. "I'll go and fetch your things."

* * *

_Dear Ginny, Hermione, and Ron,_

_I really don't know how many different ways I can say I'm sorry. My magic just got out of control, and it became impossible to hold on to, and I had to let it go. My anger at Bill only fed my magic, and it just exploded out of me, and I'm so sorry._

_I haven't been completely honest with you, in terms of my magic. For the past few months, I've been having problems with it; my anger or annoyance makes me lose control, and suddenly, my magic is going everywhere. That's what happened in the Department of Mysteries when I lit the Death Eaters on fire, and that's what happened today. _

_We don't know why this happens. All Snape and I do know for sure is that using a wand helps to channel my magic, but apart from that, we're clueless. Right now, we're just abiding by Rowena Ravenclaw's theory of magic._

_Basically, she believed in balance. A person cannot have an unlimited amount of power without extreme repercussions. Since I'm supposedly the Ultimate Power, my loss of control may very well just be the beginning of the extreme repercussions._

_I'm going to be staying at the Snape cottage for a few weeks, just until things quiet down there. In the meantime, I'll be working on controlling my magical core so that this _never_ happens again. If Harry happens to arrive before I return, please, let him know what's going on._

_Again, Ron, Ginny, I'm so incredibly sorry for what I've done. I feel terrible, and I hope that you can forgive me soon._

_Sincerely,_

_Avery_

* * *

"Here are the rules: There is to be no running in the cottage, no playing loud music, no jumping around, and absolutely _no_ rearranging the furniture of any sort," Snape began as he dumped my trunk onto the floor. "When I'm not here, you will not use magic! You will continue to meditate and hone your powers, but you will not use them! You will not go through my stuff, you will not go outside, you will not enter my room, and you will _not_ use any of my personal belongings. You are allowed to cook if you wish it, but you will not make a mess! If there is any life-threatening problem, you will twist your ring and contact me. However, if it is _not_ life-threatening, you will use your brain and figure it out yourself. Am I clear?"

I made a face. "Dear Merlin you have a lot of restrictions."

"_Miss Nouvelli_-"

"We're clear," I said, holding up both of my hands. "I understand."

He gave a curt nod. "Good," he said simply. "Now if you'll excuse me, I must be going."

* * *

_Avery Nouvelli,_

_What the bloody hell were you thinking? How, in the name of Merlin, could you possibly keep this from us? Are you mad? Did you _want_ something like this to happen? Because that's what it bloody-well looks like!_

_How are we supposed to protect you if we don't understand what's going on? I mean, I suppose I understand why you didn't tell Ron or Ginny (too many questions, I suspect), but me? Really? You know I'd be nothing but helpful. I'd research your condition in every book I can get my hands on - at least I would've if you'd told me!_

_What you did was incredibly stupid and immature! We had a right to know. Especially since you can hurt others, as we all saw._

_Truthfully, I think it's good that you're staying away for awhile. It will give the Weasley family a chance to regroup, and it will give us a chance to warn Harry so he's not completely blindsided by all that you're keeping from him when he arrives here. But I do expect you to return before summer ends. We have a lot of potions work to finish together._

_Don't do this ever again, or I won't be so forgiving._

_-Hermione_

_PS: I'm writing to Harry tomorrow to tell him what happened. I hope that's okay._

* * *

It wasn't long after he left that I began to grow bored.

I still felt guilty about what I'd accidentally done to Bill, but there was only so long that I could dwell on that before I began to drive myself crazy. Already I felt responsible for Sirius' death, and now I'd almost killed Bill too...

I had to stop thinking about it; I had to distract myself. Sitting around and worrying about my magic wasn't doing me any good, and so I went upstairs, going to the one room in the entire house that I hadn't remodeled yet: the attic.

The air was dusty, and the room was poorly lit. Looking around, I could see boxes and crates stacked up against each other, lining the wall of the room. I sighed to myself, disappointed. Obviously this place was used exclusively for storage. Cleaning it would serve absolutely no purpose; the room wouldn't be used, anyway.

Still, the prospect of going back downstairs and sitting alone in Snape's dark living room was disheartening, and so I chose instead to break one of his ones: I went through his stuff.

Most of the boxes were boring. Some contained potions books, others held old cloaks, and a few held unpolished silverware. It was like looking into a box of useless junk, things that Snape would never use again.

A small black box drew my attention, however. The box was made of velvet and the hinges were rusted. The clasp that held the box shut was a tarnished silver color. The object was incredibly different from the cardboard boxes that littered the attic, and I couldn't stop my curiosity; I had to open it.

* * *

_Avery-_

_Just a word of caution - Hermione is pretty peeved at you. I expect that you'll be getting a rather angry letter any minute. Just so you know._

_I'm glad you didn't actually kill my brother._

_-Ron_

* * *

I opened the box, removing the lid and pulling from it a few small photographs. I smiled to myself as I flipped over the first one; this could be fun...

The first picture showed a young Severus Snape scowling at the camera, his arms wrapped around a black stuffed dragon; he was hugging it like it was about to be ripped from his hands.

I laughed. He couldn't be more than six or seven in this picture, and yet he'd already begun perfecting the scowl that he's so famous for. Seeing him there, looking so naive and innocent, I could hardly believe he was the same person that was caught in the middle of this war.

After a beat, I careful tucked the picture away into my jacket pocket; it was obvious that nobody ever came up here, so no one would miss this picture, and it could make for good blackmail later on.

I flipped over the next picture, revealing Snape sitting on a river bank, his toes in water, and a small redheaded girl next to him. They were laughing together, watching as a pair of ducks swam by, and I couldn't help but stare in awe. Who was this mysterious girl? His sister? His friend? Did he even _have_ friends?

I pulled out the next photograph. He was about twelve in this one, his hair a little longer. He wore his Hogwarts robes and his green Slytherin tie, and he stood in front of the ice cream shop in Diagon Alley. Besides him stood a peroxide blond boy with ice blue eyes and a rather haughty glare... I sucked in a breath. Lucius Malfoy. _So they were friends,_ I thought. _Or at least, they knew each other well. That was how he got involved in the Death Eaters. They knew each other._

I swallowed and flipped over the next picture.

* * *

_Dear Ron,_

_Yeah, thanks for the belated heads' up._

_-Avery_

* * *

There he stood once more, almost fifteen years old. He was right next to the lake, his eyes filled with laughter for once in his life. Gone were the worry lines that normally plagued his face; for once he looked young, whole.

That could be, in part, due to the red-haired girl who was splashing him with water. She was the same girl from the duck pond, only she was older as well. There was a freeness about them, as if they could be completely themselves with no consequences.

_Who is she?_ I wondered as I stared at the two of them. The way he looked at her... I knew they couldn't be just friends. They were either siblings, or... _Lovers,_ I thought, slightly stunned.

Was it possible for Snape to have a lover? Would anyone ever think about him in that way? _Could_ anyone think about him in that way? I wasn't sure why, but the idea of Snape having a romantic relationship with anyone was... unsettling. It wasn't a disturbing thought, but more like a weird one. I'd just never thought...

I had to move on. I couldn't just keep looking at this picture all night. So I turned over another one.

* * *

_Dear Hermione,_

_I'm so unbelievably sorry about what happened! You know I'd never want this to happen; you know it was an accident! I just couldn't control my magic. It all got to be so overwhelming... But I'm working on it._

_I know I should have told you earlier, but what with everything going on with Harry and the Order, there just never seemed like a got time. And after Sirius... It just seemed wrong to distract you all with my own misery._

_It will never happen again. You can count on it._

_-Avery_

* * *

It was his graduation now, but that wasn't what caused my mouth to drop open in surprise. Gone was the smiling face and the humor-filled eyes. Small worry-lines had taken become dominant on his face, and once again he scowled at the camera.

_What had happened_? I wondered as I looked at the picture. _What happened between those few years to make him this way?_

I quickly switched to the next picture. It was a staff shot, showing all of the Hogwarts teachers, though it looked like it was about fifteen years old. He stood in the back row, his signature scowl on his face, while all of the other teachers smiled. He'd always been a harsh teacher, apparently. Nothing new there.

I turned over the last picture.

* * *

_Dear Avery,_

_Oh, Merlin, have you been keeping something from us!_

_Hermione is right pissed at you, by the way, and I personally think she has every right to be, no offense. But I'm sure by now she's already sent you a letter ranting about your irresponsibility, or whatever, so I'll just skip the lecture and get to the real reason I'm writing you._

_Wow, did you give me a scare when you knocked Bill out. Don't get me wrong, he was being a complete prat and he definitely deserved it, but still... Next time, can't you just use a stunner like a normal person?_

_I know that living here with him has been hard on you, but Hermione and I hadn't even begun to suspect that it was hard on your magic as well. If there's anything we can do to help you, just let us know._

_Hopefully we'll see you in a few weeks. I know you've only been gone for a few days, but I certainly miss you; you're a lot less homework-oriented than Hermione. Good luck living with Snape, though._

_Cheers,_

_Ginny_

* * *

It was the only picture in the stack that didn't include him at all. Instead, the mysterious redheaded woman stood laughing, holding a tiny child in her arms. She was smiling, hugging the swaddled infant close to her as she tilted her head to the side.

I couldn't help but gape at the picture. Did he have a child? Was this woman his wife? His girlfriend? _No,_ I thought to myself. _There's no way. It has to be his sister. He can't... No._

The thought of Snape with a child was just too horrifying. I didn't want to think about him getting it on with someone else! he was my teacher; it just wasn't right!

And yet at the same time, the thought was also a bit depressing to me. Only I wasn't sure why.

* * *

_Avery-_

_What the bloody hell have I been missing? Merlin, you lot owe me a full explanation when I see you again! All I really got out of Hermione's letter was that you lied to us all and you tried to kill Bill, but you're not evil, so it's okay... And now you're living with Snape. _

_First of all, how, in the name of Merlin, did_ that _happen? Snape? What? What does _that_ mean? And you almost murdering Bill... Well, that makes more sense, really. But still, what? How? What happened? And how annoying is it that Hermione chose _now_ of all times to be so unorganized in her letter?_

_Anyway, I suppose I'm glad you're not evil... But you had better have some answers for me when I return._

_Enjoy your summer,_

_Harry_

* * *

"You need to close off your mind. Nothing else is here. Just you, your magic, and your magical core. Feel your power course through your body and control it. You are at peace. You are in control. You're comfortable and alone-"

"You know, this is really hard for me to do when you're standing there and talking my ear off, Professor," I snapped, opening my eyes. It was almost a week after the incident at the Burrow had occurred, and we were in the middle of yet another training session. This one was on meditation.

He scowled at me, his face matching the picture of him that I had tucked away in my bag. A small smile slipped onto my face at the thought. "Miss Nouvelli, obviously your meditation techniques are insufficient if you still have the ability to lose control over your powers and attack your ex-boyfriend. Why are you smiling? Is this funny to you?"

I controlled my expression, giving him a relatively serious gaze instead. "No, sir. Sorry."

His eyes narrowed, and at the same time I could feel a soft force push into my mind... without meaning to, I repelled it, slamming the gate to my mind shut. What the-

Snape raised an eyebrow. "You've been studying Occlumency, haven't you?"

"What? No, why would you think that?"

"Your mind repelled me," he stated, stepping back a little to look at me. "I could not read your thoughts with ease. Granted, if I'd truly been interested, I could have pushed my way through and seen your mind anyway, yet... You really didn't do that?"

I shook my head. "No."

"Interesting," he said slowly, nodding his head. "Well, we'll have to look into that some more later. In the meantime, I don't know about you, but I require some nourishment. Shall we adjourn for dinner?"

I let out a small laugh. "Really? You're actually going to stay here and eat with me tonight?"

"Why would I not? I have a free moment. And I'd like the reassurance that you aren't destroying my possessions in your spare time," he said over his shoulder as he swept out of the room.

* * *

_Avery..._

_George told me not to write; he said you'd need some space to yourself, but I think I know you a wee bit better than he does, don't you?  
_

_I just wanted to make sure you're all right. I know that you didn't mean to attack my brother, and so does George; we don't blame you. But I also know that you've been going through a lot lately, and I just wanted to check in and make sure you were dealing with everything all right._

_I'm here for you, if you ever need me._

_-Fred_

* * *

"Are you actually going to cook?" I asked, slightly in awe.

"Miss Nouvelli, what else would I be doing in a kitchen?"

"_You _can cook?"

He gave me a haughty look, a smirk developing on his face. "Can't you?"

"No, actually," I confessed, leaning against the kitchen counter. "I'd probably burn water, if I had the chance."

"But then what have you been doing for the last few days? You're not malnourished, so you've in no way starved-"

"Hey, I may be completely inept in the kitchen, Professor, but even I can make a peanut butter sandwich."

He made a face of disgust. "That must get incredibly dull after awhile."

"Very."

His eyes narrowed in thought. "You claim you can't cook, and yet I seem to recall you entering into my potions class two years ago claiming that even you can follow a recipe. Was that a lie?"

I laughed, surprised by his long memory. "Not at all. I _can_ follow a recipe. It just... doesn't always come out the way that it should, you know?"

"No," he said smoothly. "I don't." He sighed. "Come, now. I suppose I should teach you to be useful in _some_ way." I rolled my eyes. Ass. "Pay attention closely. Tonight, we will make pasta."

* * *

_Harry-_

_Let's just say that our lives are now equally messy. This next year is most _definitely _going to be interesting._

_-Avery_

* * *

Cooking with Snape... There really aren't enough words to describe it. To watch him methodically stir the pasta, to see him contemplating the _al dente-_ness of the noodles, to observe him adding spices to the sauce... it was almost like he was human.

I knew I was supposed to be learning during his little cooking moment, but I couldn't, I was too in awe of what was happening before me. The teaching persona that he normally put forth was dissolving a bit, and I was beginning to see the man underneath.

Yes, he was sarcastic and brutally blunt at times. True, his idea of humor was sharp and a little cruel. But he wasn't just a teacher; potions wasn't his entire life. He had quirks, he had hobbies. He had a whole life outside of the school. While that may not be such a startling revelation about any other teacher, for Snape it was mind-blowing.

And as odd as it was, I found myself wanting to know more about him.

* * *

_F-_

_I'm fine. Don't worry about me. I'm sorry for hurting Bill... And again, I'm sorry for everything else. I'm just... sorry._

_-A_

* * *

The dinning room was absolutely huge, and as we sat down, I found myself growing glad that I'd cleaned the musty room a few weeks prior. The chandelier had been dusted, the carpet redone, and the bolts in the lavish high-backed seats tightened. I'd enhanced the lighting and repainted the walls, making the room homey and perfect. I was all set to just sit down at the small table and eat a quiet meal.

Once we actually sat down to dinner, though, I remembered the picture I'd found upstairs of the redhead and the child. Immediately, that became the most important thing in my mind. Who was she? More importantly, who was the child?

"So?" he asked, his eyebrows raised. "Are you enjoying your meal?"

"It's... adequate," I said. A smile crossed over my face as I said it though. I was only teasing him; the truth was, Snape is a pretty damn good cook. Who know? "It certainly taste better than most of your potions."

He scowled. "Potions are _not_ developed for taste."

"So you've said." I really wanted to know who the girl from the photograph was, so I decided to try and ask in a subtle way. Who knew? Maybe he'd give in and tell me.

Yeah, and maybe Neville would become one of the biggest badasses Hogwarts has ever seen.

"You know, it's too bad that you don't have someone to cook for more often," I said as I twirled the pasta around on my fork. "Parents... Or a sister, maybe? You have any siblings."

His eyes narrowed, but to my surprise, he answered anyway. "No."

"Oh. Well, a girlfriend, then? Wife? Mistress?" I teased with a cocky grin. I mean, he _was_ a guy. Surely he was having sex with someone.

"Is that any of your business, Miss Nouvelli?" he asked, his voice hardening.

I just laughed, though. "Oh, calm down. It was just a question."

"And this is just an answer: no," he said sharply. Then he stood. "I shall take my leave."

"Oh, come on!" I protested. Even though I was giving him a hard time, the truth was that I didn't want him to leave. I was bored spending so much time at the Snape cabin all alone; his company was refreshing. "I know you don't have plans. Finish your dinner."

His mouth was curled into a grimace as he spoke again. "Good night, Miss Nouvelli."

As I watched him walk away, I couldn't help but feel like I'd hurt him somehow.

* * *

_Ginny,_

_Thank you so much for all of your support. I know that I really owe you big for not telling you the _entire _truth right off the bat, but I promise to divulge all of my deepest and darkest secrets to you once I return to the Burrow._

_I'm actually writing to ask you for a favor. I know that this is Bill's home and all, but if you see any sign of him contemplating a break (you know, visiting friends in the country, meeting Fleur's parents in Paris...) could you please encourage him to do so? I'd like nothing more than to return, but I'd really rather it be away from Bill._

_Oh, and if you could also try and calm Hermione down, that would be great. She has every right to be mad, but she' gotten pretty handy with that wand, and I _really_ don't want to be cursed to death._

_Thanks,_

_Avery_

* * *

I changed into black booty shorts, an oversized red T-shirt, and white thigh-high socks before I went to bed that night. As I crawled beneath the covers of the large canopy bed in the guest room, though, I couldn't help but feel lonely. A war was going on out in the real world, yet I was isolated because being around Bill made me want to kill him. Why couldn't I just go home? Hell, if I was wishing for things that were never going to happen, why couldn't I just be normal?

From the nightstand, I pulled out the picture of a young Snape - the one when he was a little boy holding a stuffed dragon - and smiled to myself. You'd never get me to admit it, but he really had been a cute child. Who knew? Maybe he'd have equally cute children of his own one day.

I gagged at the thought. Okay, I really _was_ too lonely if that kind of crap was rattling around in my mind. God, I needed some human contact as soon as possible.

* * *

_Bill-_

_I'm sorry. I'm just so, so sorry._

_-Avery_

* * *

It wasn't until after I'd slid the picture back beneath my Potions' textbook in the nightstand's drawer and had almost managed to drift off to sleep that I heard a _creak_ coming from right outside my door. My eyes opened, and for a moment, I thought that maybe it was only my imagination. Maybe my dreams were just permeating into my waking life. Then the doorknob began to turn.

* * *

_Hey everyone! I apologize for the long wait in between chapters! My muse kind of died for this story, and I had a lot of real life things going on as well. But I think I'm slowly starting to regain some ideas for this story, so if anyone is still willing to read this, let me know and I'll keep writing. If not, I'll move on to other projects._

_I do like this series, though, so I hope you guys are still reading! And if you are, thank you so much for sticking through it! I really appreciate it! Please leave me a review and tell me what you think!_

_Thank you so much!_

_-Selene_


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